Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Inside the Fun House: The Cycle of History

Some people believe in ‘The Great Man Theory” about historical causes, some believe in Spengler’s cyclic view and some believe in the motive hand of a deity or any or part of these and other possibilities depending on which complexity they are attracted to. Most motivations for belief are what suits the personal perspective. In some few cases the belief is intended to be impartial and the result of compared and sifted evidence but even this seldom escapes the coloration of the personal lens.

The details of history are mostly lies. The wider sweep is mostly true. One thing we can be sure of is that it repeats itself. This is probably because the conditions we deal with are always the same. I tend toward Spengler’s view as containing more truth than the rest. It’s not just history that’s cyclic. We keep time with circular clocks. We exist within the cycle of the seasons. The Earth rotates around the Sun; at least for the moment. Prior to birth we are curled in a ball and as life progresses the back curves forward (in most cases) almost seeming to be in anticipation of another cycle whose mysterious process of return (if there is one) is beyond our vision. For me it has a Mobius strip character. We can only see part of the operation and that leads to a lot of speculation and argument which doesn’t come to much in terms of proving anything… here.

Given that circumstances repeat themselves it shouldn’t be hard to see that we are approaching one of those periods of ‘revolution’. In this particular instance; in this particular time there is a particular feature that is present which is going to be active more than at any time in the recorded past. It’s going to be happening everywhere at the same time. Nations and the minds of the population are all directly more aware of each other through the medium of international communications via news media and the internet. The mass media is a lie machine controlled by the interests of the few for the plundering of the many. That’s a given. The internet offers the possibility of a greater impartiality if you know where to look.

To be simplistic about the perspective of Karl Marx we are given to understand that history is the result of economic forces and hegemonic interests. There’s some truth to that. A few people are smarter than the larger body but the basic principle of self interest pervades in general. Intelligent and amoral psychopaths can prosper in their vicious behavior by preying on the self-interest of the lumpen proles. This is another cycle that repeats.

Henry Ford was a smart man. He said, “history is bunk”. He also understood something of the nature of certain forces he had to deal with. He wasn’t alone in this regard. The thoughts of many of the world’s leaders echo a common sentiment as to the wolves among the sheep. I’m not going to treat with this today. I’ve said my piece and the evidence is glaring. There’s more evidence than there is bullshit in the world, each producing their own form of methane and you are welcome to breathe either. Telling yourself that you don’t smell it is a matter between you and your lying nose.

However… the people of the world… that large sleeping animal is being pressed and afflicted by the age old condition of the few wanting more than they will ever use at the expense of the many. This pathology of the few has no limits upon its appetite. It will squeeze the last bloody nickel from the hands of the last starving serf if it can manage it. It never does. Sooner or later they ignite the wrath of the world against them and heads will roll. Heads should roll and we can only hope it is the right heads.

Contrary to what we were led to believe, President Obama is no more than Bush-lite. He’s going to pour some tens of thousands of extra soldiers into Afghanistan as if it will do any good at all. It won’t. Someone doesn’t understand the Hindu Kush. You can’t conquer certain places. He’s going to do it at the behest of Gates and the generals who don’t know shit from shinola. They’re doing it at the behest of whoever has promised them a portion of the plunder in this geo-political rape when the sanest thing is to recognize that different societies are different and to manage your needs and relationships by first recognizing this fact and not operating as agencies for corporations who want to ram their shit down unwilling throats and/or steal what isn’t theirs.

Because unbridled greed and stupidity are human constants another cycle repeats and it results in tragedy with every turn of the wheel.

I do not know the details of what is coming because they haven’t presented themselves yet. I do know what the larger picture portends. Revolution is coming and it’s coming to Main Street everywhere. It will hit its most dramatic expressions in the larger urban areas and things will no longer be what they were. Let that imply whatever you like… or don’t like.

During both of the last world wars there were various areas that were untouched by the conflicts though they were no great distance away. This is something to consider. You might ask why this was the case but that wouldn’t be the most important consideration. Everyone should look at where they are and judge accordingly. You get what I’m saying or you don’t.

A new world is going to emerge from the transformations in the wings. A new cycle is appearing even as the old cycle is recycling. It will have new solutions because the old solutions did not work. It will contain many of the forward thinking ideas that have been ridiculed by those addicted to the stupidity of the moment drawn from a poor information about the past, colored by self interest.

If a car hits you when you are crossing the street, your first concern is not whether the car was driven by a drunk or someone on their cell phone. Your concern is not whether they are a Muslim or an atheist. Your concern is the injuries of the impact. Your real self-interest lies in paying attention in the first place because a great number of people are not paying attention due to their attention being co-opted by whatever brand of distracting materialism has captured their minds.

Your right to live is directly tied to your values. Your right to a new world is directly tied to your ties to the old world. Your ability to swim is directly tied to whatever possessions and sundry are tied around your neck through the agency of your minds attachment to theses things. You are either cycling into a new understanding because of your willingness to let go of the old and embrace the new or you are recycling into compost for the new because your cold dead fingers are wrapped around the past. It’s your call.

Every time a period such as this comes around there are increasingly greater warnings that present themselves in the changes taking place. Every time this happens, the same sort of people are wining and dining while Rome burns. Their laughter crackles like the flames that surround them and no amount of increasing evidence will convince them of anything. Their crimes and their excesses increase in measure to the point of absurdity and so it goes.

There are a few basic amenities that are crucial to survival. Any fool ought to know what these are and where they came from before they got wrapped in packaging and showed up on a shelf somewhere. Take a look around… well… we’ll see won’t we?

(Blog author's note: I alter this fabulous and perceptive author's titles not out of disrespect, but respect at the unexpected and prescient phrases, themes, and ideas that catch my eye in his brilliant essays. Due to the backlog from my break I'll be logging a few under the "Fun House" heading. After all, it is Smoking Mirrors, isn't it?)

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